


Fireworks and Faking It

by probablynotadalek



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fourth of July, M/M, Minor Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Panic Attacks, Steve Rogers Has PTSD, as in its implied mostly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 13:42:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4265295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/probablynotadalek/pseuds/probablynotadalek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of moments from Steve's first Fourth of July since 1945.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fireworks and Faking It

“Who’s strong and brave here to save the American Way!” Steve heard the off key choir as he opened his eyes to see the Avengers filing into his room. “Who’s out to fight, like a man, for what’s right, night and day!” 

“What are you guys doing?”

“C’mon Cap.” Tony stopped singing and stepped closer to the bed, holding a tray behind his back. “Don’t you always wake up to the sound of patriotism?”

“At four in the morning?”

“We had to catch you before you went jogging or whatever it is you do when you wake up.” Tony said before joining the singing again.

“The Star Spangled Man with a plan!” They finished, drawing the last note on for as long as possible until Natasha was the last one singing and even she ran out of breath. 

“Happy Birthday Cap!” Tony pulled the tray out from behind his back, revealing a plate of scrambled eggs and oddly shaped pancakes that had been colored red and blue, with food dye he hoped. “Breakfast in bed!”

Steve smiled as he accepted the food. “Thanks, guys,” He picked up the fork and knife and began cutting the pancakes that had already been drowned in syrup and whipped cream. “But today isn’t my birthday.”

Clint objected. “It’s the Fourth of July, Cap, of course it’s your birthday.”

“Actually,” Steve paused to swallow a bite of pancake. “It’s not. That’s just something the army made up to make me seem more patriotic, and since my army records are the only ones anyone cared about,” he shrugged. 

Natasha held out a hand for a reason Steve didn’t understand until Clint spoke up. “I’ll pay you later, I don’t keep my wallet in my pajamas.”

“You two made a bet about my birthday?”

“We make bets on everything.” Natasha explained. “And I called it.”

“So if today isn’t your birthday,” Tony asked, “When is?”

“June 14th.”

“So we missed it?” Bruce said. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Doctor Doom was in town, we had bigger things to worry about.”

“Spider-man could have handled Doctor Doom and you know it.” Tony said.

“It just didn’t seem important at the time.”

“So if it isn’t Cap’s birthday,” Clint started.

“He doesn’t deserve the birthday pancakes.” Natasha finished.

Instantly they both launched into a half-hearted attack on the breakfast. Steve fended them off easily with the fork, carefully balancing the tray until Thor came in from the side and lifted the tray into the air. 

“Thor,” Clint groaned.

“If the Captain doesn’t get pancakes, neither do you.”

“Thor, give him the pancakes back.” Bruce said. “If they’re not birthday pancakes, they’re Fourth of July pancakes, and everyone gets some.”

“Yes!” Clint said, pumping a fist into the air. “Pancakes!”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Natasha said. “Remember what happened making this batch?”

“Yes.” Bruce said. “Which is why Cap is going to help us make this one.”

“That’s right, Rogers.” Tony said. “Hurry up and eat your pancakes, we’ve got a lot more to make before your first fake-birthday press encounter.”

Steve smiled before taking another bite of the pancakes.

***

“Alright,” Steve said, standing in front of the largest pancake griddle he had ever seen. One corner was still a mess from where the team had made his breakfast. He turned to face the others, who were huddled around the island they hadn’t even bothered to clean. “Thor, Bruce, and Clint, I want you guys making batter, red white and blue.”

“Yes, sir.” Clint said, grabbing the bag of flour they hadn’t put away. 

“Barton with the flour? You do realize that that is an awful idea, right?” Tony said.

“Would you prefer he worked with the hot pan?”

“You’re right, that would be worse.”

“Exactly. Which is why Tony, Nat and I will be working on the griddle.” 

“Aye, aye, Cap’n.” Natasha said, saluting with a spatula as she stepped forward. 

Tony stepped in between them, and Steve realized there wasn’t quite enough space at the griddle for three people to work at. “Let’s do this.” Tony said, his shoulder rubbing against Steve’s arm. 

“Yeah.” He said, staring for a second before he returned his attention to the task at hand. “Let’s do this.”

***

The pancakes had been a disaster. Giving the flour to Clint had been a mistake that resulted in all of them getting covered in white powder that made their hair look gray. Thor had gotten a little distracted while mixing the colors, resulting in a batch of purple pancakes. Tony’s pouring skills left the pancakes all different sizes. Steve kept getting lost in trying to help Tony and almost burnt most of his pancakes.

They tasted pretty good, though.

***

“So we’re not telling anyone that it’s not actually your birthday?” Tony asked.

The elevator continued downward as the team silently prepared themselves for the paparazzi they would meet the instant they stepped onto the public floor of the tower. Minus Thor and Bruce, who had had a few too many run ins with reporters that ended in ways Fury didn’t appreciate.

“No.” Steve responded plainly.

“We can’t have the world thinking their Captain America is a lie.” Clint said.

“Yes, because we can’t shatter their image of a straight-laced law-abiding good little Catholic patriot Steve Rogers.” Natasha added.

“Emphasis on law-abiding.” Clint said, smiling.

“I would have put the emphasis on straight, but that works too.” Natasha said. 

“Agent Romanov,” Tony said, feigning insult. “What exactly are you insinuating?”

“That Cap is in no way heterosexual.”

“Well, Captain Rogers, what do you have to say to that?” Clint said, holding up a fake microphone to Steve’s face.

“I can neither confirm nor deny-” The rest of his sentence was lost to Tony and Clint’s laughter that filled the elevator until it opened and the group was surrounded by cameras and voices.

***

“So the Fourth of July is a celebration of America?” Thor asked as he and Steve carried boxes of decorations out to the balcony Tony had told them would have a perfect view of the fireworks.

“Sort of.” Steve set down his box. “America’s in a pretty bad place as far as most things go.”

“By ‘pretty bad’, he means we’re doing horribly.” Bruce said as he pulled out a roll of streamers. “Racism, sexism, homophobia, don’t even get me started on global warming.”

“What Bruce is trying to say is that America is full of assholes who are stuck in the past.” Natasha said from where she and Clint were hanging a ‘Happy Birthday America’ banner.

“So today is a celebration of bigots?” Thor asked.

“No,” Steve paused and tried to explain. “Its a celebration of everything America is supposed to be, freedom and equality, the right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. It’s a sort of promise that someday we can be that.”

“Poetic, Cap.” Clint said, putting up the last corner of the poster with a strip of duct tape longer than he was.

***

“Here we go.” Tony said, settling into a cheap plastic lawn chair that ‘added to the authenticity’ according to Clint. “Fireworks.”

Steve took another bite of his freshly grilled hot dog (who knew Thor would be so good at grilling?) as they watched the sun sink slowly behind the skyscrapers. 

“One more minute!” Natasha yelled, running to slide into a chair that had been pressed next to Clint’s. She stuck the landing surprisingly well, despite almost pushing him off.

“Come on over!” Tony yelled to Bruce and Thor, who were over by the grill arguing about what exactly went into a hot dog. “It’s about to start!”

The two had just settled into their seats when Clint began the countdown. It wasn’t even one count until the rest of them joined in. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1! 

“Happy Birthday America!” they screamed just as the first firework went off with a bang.

Steve dropped his plate at the noise. Suddenly he couldn’t breathe. He looked down at his shaking hands. 

Someone was talking to him. “Steve, are you okay?” 

He barely heard them. “I need to go inside.” He said, getting up and trying not to let the dizziness take over in the few steps it took to get inside the tower. He fell onto the couch and buried his face in his hands, trying to get his breath back but losing it with every explosion and flash of light.

“They’re just fireworks.” He muttered to himself. “Just fireworks.” The feeling of dread tightening his chest wouldn’t let him believe it. 

“Steve?” Tony’s voice came from the doorway. Steve looked up and saw the team huddled behind the glass wall. Tony started walking toward him while he talked, voice soft. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.” He said, even as another flash made him flinch. “It’s just that, the fireworks…”

“Sound a little too much like bombs?” Tony asked, taking a seat next to Steve on the couch.

“Yeah.” Steve whispered.

“That’s okay.” Tony said. “Jarvis?”

“Yes, sir?” The familiar voice of the AI responded.

“Is the Curtain operational?”

“The Curtain?” Steve asked as Jarvis said “Yes, sir.”

Tony waved the team inside as he explained. “I made it when I rebuilt the Tower. It keeps everything out, including sound.” He waited until everyone had made it in through the glass door before saying “Let it down.” 

A metal sheet made its way over the glass. “I can’t ask you guys to do this.”

“Good thing you’re not asking.” Natasha said, taking a seat on Steve’s other side.

“Really, go out and enjoy the fireworks.”

“Not without you.” Bruce said. “Besides, there are a hundred different ways to celebrate the Fourth of July that don’t involve gunpowder.” 

Steve smiled as the Curtain closed all the way and the sound of the explosions disappeared. 

“This means we can get the pie out now, right?”

***

Steve was the only one awake as the credits for National Treasure (‘Its about the Declaration of Independance, how much more patriotic can you get?’) rolled across the screen. He took a look around the dark room, at Thor snoring lightly and taking up as much space on the chair as he could, Bruce curled up on the arm of the couch, Natasha with her head in Clint’s lap and her feet on Steve’s, Tony curled against his side.

“Should I turn of the movie, Captain?” Jarvis said softly.

“Yeah.” Steve said. The room fell into blackness, the light from the screen having gone. “Goodnight, Jarvis.”

“Goodnight, Captain.” 

Steve took one last look around the room as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, finally settling on the top of Tony’s head. 

“Thank you.” He whispered before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> This was going to be longer, but I decided I'd rather have it out by the Fourth.
> 
> Happy Birthday America!


End file.
